Circular knitted fabric and garment



`lune 26, 1956 Filed Jan. 25, 1955 E. ovERFlELD-coLLlNs ET AL 2,751,771

CIRCULAR KNITTED FABRIC AND GARMENT A ttarn e y:

vJune 26, 1956 E. ovERFlELD-COLLINS ET AL 2,751,771

CIRCULAR KNITTED FABRIC AND GARMENT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 25, 1955 i.. y Q E Q. m: si QN ww, i. s

June 26, 1956 E. OVERFIELD-COLLINS ET AI- 2,751,771

CIRCULAR KNITTED FABRIC AND GARMENT Filed Jan. 25, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Hg. 4, /0// /2 /5 /4 l2/5 9 Attorneys rUnited States PatentnQf,

CIRCULAR KNITTED FABRIC AND GARMENT Edward Overheid-Collins, Beckenham, and Alfred Percy v Saunders, Leicester, England, assignors to Wildt and Company Limited, Leicester, England, a British com- Pany Application January 25, 1955, Serial No. 483,967

Claims priority, application Great Britain September 1, 1954 7 Claims. (Cl. 66-171) This invention relates to circular weft knitted fabrics and articles, and has for its object to pattern the same by means of improved isolated designs akin to or simulating those known as intarsia According to this invention, an isolated design, produced Within a structure of loops knitted of a ground yarn and of a circumferential extent less than that of the circular knitted fabric or article, is characterised in that it includes a plurality of partial courses of loops knitted of individually incorporated non-continuous portions of at least one additional, i. e. patterning, yarn and non-knitted portions or floats of the ground yarn extending coursewise at the back of the said loops, the non-continuous portions of patterning yarn being interengaged with knitted loops of the ground yarn at predetermined points restricted to the design area whereby they are locked in the structure.

Thus, at least the opposite ends of each non-continuous weftwise-incorporated portion of patterning yarn are locked in the ground structure as, for instance, by virtue of being knitted together with loops of the ground yarn in any desired number of wales.

lt is principally the intention that each isolated intarsia design shall also include individual loops or partial courses of such loops knitted of the ground yarn only, in which instance these loops or partial courses are backed by coursewise extending non-knitted portions or oats of the patterning yarn.

Wherever in thi-s preferred embodiment the individually incorporated lengths of patterning yarn are knitted together with the ground yarn, the two yarns maybe knitted in plated relation suchwise that the knitted loops of the patterning yarn are fully exposed to View on the front or outside face of the fabric.

The circumferential extent of an isolated design produced in accordance with the invention may vary course by course to produce designs of either irregular or various geometrical shapes.

A knitted fabric or article patterned by means of the improved isolated intarsia designs may also include a rib knitted portion or portions. For example, such a rib portion may be knitted closely adjacent to the area of plain knitted fabric incorporating the isolated designs, or more remotely, according to requirements.

Specic examples of structures of loops having isolated intarsia" designs produced by the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is an outside face View of a portion of plain knitted fabric, drawn to a greatly magnified scale and knitted from ground yarn, and a patterning (intarsia) yarn so incorporated as to produce a typical intarsia design,

Figure 2 is a rear face View of a further portion of plain knitted fabric, drawn to a similar scale, and patterned by a solid intarsia design produced in accordance with this invention,

portions of the intarsia yarn 5 which are shaded.

2,751,771 Patented June 2 6, 1956 Figure 3 is an outside face view of yet another portion of such patterned fabric-but this time combined with an adjoining portion of l x l rib knitted fabric, and

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic representation of a garment length produced in accordance with the invention, and marked to indicate different positions at which the intarsia yarn is cut after being knitted together with the ground varn.

ln Figure l is shown a structure of plain loops 1 knitted of a ground yarn 2. The portion of plain fabric depicted is of a coursewise extent substantially less than the circumferential extent of the circular knitted fabric or article. The numerals A O indicate the needle wales, whilst successively knitted courses are indicated at a, b, C and d. Within the structure of plain loops 1 is produced an isolated intarsia design a fragmentary portion only of which` is indicated generally at 3. A-s will be seen, this design includes partial courses of loops 4 knitted of individually incorporated non-continuous portions of a patterning, i. e. intarsia, yarn 5. For the sake of clarity, the ground yarn 2 is shown unshaded to contrast with the In actual practice the two yarns 2 and 5 would, of course, contrast as regards colour. The partial courses of loops 4 form a pattern area of solid colour, and oats, i. e. nonknitted, portions 2a of the ground yarn 2 extend coursewise at the back of the said area. The non-continuous and individually incorporated portions of intarsia yarn 5 are locked in the structure of plain loops 1 by Virtue of being knitted together with the ground yarn 2 at courses rz and b and in predetermined Wales such as C, D, K, L and M restricted to the design area 3. The two yarns 2 and 5 are knitted together in plated relation suchwise that the knitted loops 6 of the intarsia yarn 5 are fully exposed on the outside face of the fabric as illustrated in Figure 1; In this way, and by reason of the fact that elsewhere the intarsia yarn 5 is knitted alone to produce'a solid colour etiect, the design is clearly and boldly defined as in true intarsia Thus, as will be appreciated, at least the opposite ends of each non-continuous WeftWise-incorporated portion of intarsia yarn are locked in the ground structure. In the example now being described, the i11- iarsia design 3 also includes individual loops 1' or/and partial courses of such loops knitted of the ground yarn only, these loops or partial courses (see wales E, I and I) being backed by coursewise extending oats 5a of the intarsia yarn 5. Thus, in the illustrated example, partial courses of knitted loops 4 of the non-continuous intarsia yarn 5 are appropriately interspersed with individual knitted loops 1 or partial courses of such loops of the continuous ground yarn 2 within the area of the'design 3,

each of the yarns being floated at the back of the fabric where it is not knitted, and both yarns being knitted together at the opposite ends of the design and elsewhere within the latter as may be required. The reference numeral 5b in Figure l indicates the cut ends of the noncontinuous portions of the intarsia yarn.

A fragmentary portion of a further intarsia design 3' produced on the same principle is depicted in Figure 2- but this time as seen from the back of the fabric. The fabric con-struction will be readily followed, as similar reference characters to those applied to Figure 1 are used in Figure 2. In the last mentioned ligure, however, the knitting together' of the ground and intarsia yarns in plating relation is more clearly shown. As will be seen, in this second example, a solid pattern area knitted of the intarsia yarn 5 is incorporated in Wales F', G', and H' at courses a and b, whilst loops 1 and 6 of the ground and intarsia yarns respectively are knitted together in plated relation in wales A', B', C', D', I', I' and K' at courses a', b', and c'.

Figure 3 comprises a portion of a plain knitted area S n d.. incorporating a fragment of an isolated intarsia design, and an immediately/'adjoining l X l rib knitted area T of which the alternating plain vvales and the intervening rib Wales are indicated by the letters P and R respectively. Referring now to Figure 4, the garment length illuswherein the circumferential extent of the design varies courseV by course, for the purpose described.

trated therein comprises a Welt 7, a l x 1 rib border 8 Vand a body portion 9 of plain knitted fabric patterned by isolated intarsia designs li) produced in accordance zwith the invention. Merely by Way of example the designs V1l] are shown in the form of solid diamonds with depending tails. Areas Within the plain body portion 9 devoid of intarsia designs may, if desired, include rib knitted effects. During the production of the diamond V:designs 10, the ends of the individuallyincorporated and non-continuous portions of the intarsia yarn are trapped, and cut short at progressively varying points on the lines `11, 1 2, 13 ,and 153; this short cutting is to ensure that no longloose ends of the -said yarn extend from the inclined edges ofthe solid diamond designs.

Methods of and machines for producing patterned knit.-

ted fabrics and articles such as those herein described form the subjectiof our co-pending application No. 483.-

968tiled'lanuary 25, 1955, now Patent No. 2,723,544. .We claim: Y

A 1. 'Circular weft knitted fabric comprising a structure of loops knitted of a ground yarn and in which is produced an isolated design of a circumferential extent les-s than that of the saidv fabric, said design including a plui'ality of partial'courses of loops knitted of individually incorporated non-continuous portions of at least one patterning yarn, floats of the said ground yarn extending tfoursevviseV at the back of the said loops, loops knitted of the ground yarp and coursewise extending floats of the patterning yarn at the back of the last mentioned knitted loops, the non-continuous portions of patterning yarn being interengaged with knitted loops of "the ground yarn at predetermined points restricted to the design area whereby said portions are locked in the structure aforesaid.

2. Circular weft knitted fabric comprising a structure oftp'lain loops knitted of a continuous ground yarn and in which is produced an isolated design of a circumferential extent less than that of said fabric, said designfcomprising, at each of the partial courses within the area of the design, knitted loops of a non-continuous intarsia yarn only interspersed with knitted loops of the continuous ground yarn only and, at the opposite ends of, and at other desired points within the partial course, knitted loops of both yarns, each of said yarns being oated at the. back of the fabric where it is not knitted.

3.V Circular weft' knitted fabric according to claim V2, wherein at the appropriate points the ground and intarsia yarns ,are so knitted in plated relation that theloops of the intarsia yarn are fully exposedon the outside face of the fabric.

1 4.,'Circular weft knitted fabric according to claim v2,

5. A circular knitted garnent which includes a portion consisting of a structure of plain loops knitted of a continuous ground yarn and in which is produced an isolated design of circumferential extent less than that of the said garment,said design"comprising,l at Yeach of the, partial courses within the arearof'the design, knitted loops of a non-continuous intarsia yarn only interspersed with knit; ted'loops of the continuous ground yarn only and, atthe opposite ends of, and at other desired points within the partial course, knitted loops of both yarns each ofV said yarns being iloated at the back of the fabric where it is not knitted. Y t

6. A circular knitted garment comprising, a Welt, a rib border and, knitted integrally with said border, a body portion at least some of Whichfc'onsists of a structure of plain loops knitted of a continuous ground yarn and in which is produced any isolated design of a circumferential extent less than that of the said body portion, said de..-

sign comprising, at each of the partial courses within the area of the design, knitted loopsof a non-continuous intarsia yarn only interspersed with knitted loops of the continuous ground yarn only and, at the opposite ends of, and Vat other desired point-s within the partial course, knitted loops of both yarns, each of said yarns being oated at the back of the fabric Where it is not knitted.

7. Circular weft knitted fabric comprising, in combination, at least one rib knitted portion, and, integral with and ,immediately adjacent to said portion, an area of plain loops knittedgof a ground yarn and in which is produced an isolated design of a circumferential extent less than that of the said fabric, said design including a plurality of partial courses of loops knitted of individually incorporated non-continuous portions of at least one patterning yarn, oats of the said ground yarn extending coursewise at the back of Vthe said loops, loops kknitted of the ground yarn and coursewise extending floats of the patterning yarn at the back of the last mentioned knitted loops, the non-continuous portions of patterning yarn being interengaged with knitted loops of the ground yarn at predetermined points restricted to the design area whereby said portions are locked in the area aforesaid.

n- References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,491,760' Scott Apr. 22, 1924 2,175,297 Lawson Oct. l0, 1939 21,260,117 Marr Oct. 2l, 1941 2,522,265' Haddad Sept. l2, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 482,651 Great Britain Apr. 1, 193s 

